1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a magnetic video recording and reproducing apparatus employing a magazine having housed therein a magnetic tape, and more particularly to a magnetic video recording and reproducing apparatus which is provided with a magazine loading section disposed on the main surface of a main chassis of the apparatus, a rotary magnetic head assembly composed of a cylindrical magnetic tape guide surface and a rotary magnetic head and disposed on the main surface of the main chassis, a magazine loading device for loading a magazine formed with a casing containing a magnetic tape onto the magazine loading section and unloading the magazine therefrom, and magnetic tape threading means for drawing out the magnetic tape from the magazine loaded on the magazine loading section to thread it on the magnetic tape guide surface of the rotary magnetic head assembly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A magazine loading device for use in such a magnetic video recording and reproducing apparatus is usually provided with a magazine holder for housing the magazine inserted thereinto from the front of the magazine holder, a magazine holder support mechanism for supporting the magazine holder and bringing it from a magazine housing and unhousing position to a magazine loading position and bringing the magazine holder back to the magazine mounting and demounting position, a spring mechanism interposed between the magazine holder support mechanism and the magazine holder for biasing the magazine holder towards the magazine housing and unhousing position, and a locking mechanism for locking the magazine holder at the magazine loading position when the magazine holder is brought by the magazine holder support mechanism onto the magazine loading section against the biasing force of the spring mechanism and releasing the magazine holder from the locked position.
With such a magazine loading device, there is the possibility that if a magazine housed in a magazine holder upside down or with the front side back is brought as it is to the magazine loading section, the magazine loading section is damaged by the magazine. To avoid this, a variety of erroneous housing preventive mechanisms haveheretofore been proposed. However, such conventional mechanisms are complicated in construction.
In the magazine loading device, the magazine is not smoothly loaded on the magazine loading section unless it is housed correctly in the magazine holder at a predetermined position. To ensure correct positioning of the magazine in the magazine holder, various means have been proposed in the past but they are also complicated in construction.
Further, when the magazine housed in the magazine holder is brought to the magazine loading section, if reels having wound thereon a magnetic tape contained in the magazine and reels supports of the magazine loading section are not suitably coupled with each other, the magnetic tape cannot be smoothly guided and transported along the magnetic tape guide surface of the rotary magnetic head assembly. In the conventional magazine loading device, coupling between the reel and the reel supports is not fully satisfactory.
In the conventional magazine loading device, its spring mechanism is complicated in construction and when the magazine holder is released from its locked position, the magazine holder does not stably return to the magazine housing and unhousing position.
Moreover, if the magazine holder is not supported by the magazine holder support mechanism in a manner to be its balanced state while it is brought by the magazine holder support mechanism from the magazine housing and unhousing position to the magazine loading position, the magazine cannot be smoothly loaded on the magazine loading section. Therefore, means for maintaining the magazine in its balanced state have been provided in the conventional magazine loading device but they are complicated in construction.
Further, in the magazine loading device, if the magazine incompletely housed in the magazine holder is brought to the magazine loading section, the magazine loading section is likely to be damaged by the magazine. To avoid this, various means have heretofore been proposed, but they are complicated in construction.
Furthermore, in the conventional magazine loading device, when the magazine holder is released from its locked position on the magazine loading section and returned by the biasing force of the spring mechanism to the magazine housing and unhousing position, a great mechanical shock is produced.